Trials of the Damned
by oncerSM
Summary: Two years after Barry Allen was arrested for murder, new evidence comes into light. But when Barry is released he is a changed man, hardened by the neglect from his family and friends and wants nothing to do with them. Now he has a daughter and broken relationships that need to be fixed.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Barry Allen and I am 29 years old.

In the past I would've considered myself an optimist, but now I just feel bitter.

2 years ago I was convicted for the murder of Clifford Devoe, a murder I didn't commit. At my trial 'video surveillance' was somehow recovered, showing how I supposedly did it, but it was fake. I was said to be guilty. My family stood by and watched as I was dragged away by officers, pleading for my innocence. I was sentence to life in Iron Heights, how damn ironic considering my family history.

I've only gotten one visitor over these couple of years, Iris. She told me she was pregnant with a girl and then she left. That was over 9 months ago. I suspect I have a child now, one I'll never get to meet.

I was put in an isolation cell, giving what my 'crime' was, this is standard procedure. This gave me lots of time to think.

I hated this city. I had spent four years risking my life to protect it, to keep people safe, and they were the ones to lock me up. Half the time I think of escaping this place. I could. No one knows I'm a meta human. No one knows I'm the Flash. Maybe if they did they'd let me go, after all the Flash was a hero. He never killed.

I hated my family too. How could they possibly believe I had done such a horrible thing? They must've thought I'd finally cracked. Then I remember, they believed Eddie. When Hannibal Bates pretended to be him and shot two cops. Even then, he shot but didn't kill. Didn't viciously stab a poor innocent handicapped man with a wedding gift he had just received only that morning. But I never did any of those things.

END INTRO

Barry sat on the floor in his cell, his back leaned against the stone walls that surrounded him. He threw a small rubber ball against the one opposite him, catching it every time it came back and then throwing it again. There wasn't much for entertainment here.

" " A guard said coming towards his cell. Barry didn't look to see which one, but he could just make him out of the corner of his eye without turning his head. Barry threw the ball once more and caught it, showing off his utter boredom. Then he heard the jingle of keys and the heavy iron door being pulled open.

"You've been released" and Barry stood up so quickly, the ball fell from his hands, bouncing once, twice, before stopping dead on the floor.

"What?" Barry swallowed, not willing himself to believe it.

"I'll let the DA explain everything. Come on" and then Barry was led down the hallway and the next few minutes past in a blur. He took a shower, was given clothes and a razor to shave (which he refused). Any personal items he had come with: his wallet, with $23.72, his cellphone and a package of mints. His hands felt sweaty he rubbed them on his jeans, and looking in the mirror he saw himself looking pale. He was free. He was going home. But the question plagued him, what home?

There was officers and guards in the entrance area when he arrived, all apparently waiting for him. Then they broke out into applause. Barry didn't smile though, seeing as these were the people that had put him away.

"Barry" he heard and turned around. Cecile's small form stood in front of him. He was glad to see she wasn't smiling either, although the didn't look as awful as he felt either.

"I don't understand"he said as she put a hand on his back and began to lead him through the tall metal doors and out pass the wired fence. A silver Prius was just in front.

"Devoe's wife confessed everything. About her husband being a meta, her tech, and then framing you. Conveniently she left out that you were the Flash. The judge almost immediately signed the release. And Devoe was put in a top security meta cell at Argus" Cecile said as she got into the front seat, Barry opened the passenger door and got in. This didn't feel real. "CCPD is under a lot of fire now" she added.

"Why?" Barry asked his voice quiet as he stared out the window.

"Because that's two innocent men they've put away for murders. Men they've sworn were guilty" Cecile said. "It doesn't help that both of them were from the same family".

"What about Joe? Iris?" Barry asked although he didn't want to care. They abandoned him and so did everyone else.

"Bar-" Cecile started, trying to figure out the right choice of words.

"What's her name?" Barry asked, his voice sounding horse.

"Who?" Cecile asked.

"My daughter" the words felt strange in his mouth. He played with ring on his finger as he spoke, wondering why he still kept it on.

"Nora" she answered. And Barry felt like he'd been slapped in the face. Iris had named the baby after his mother.

"Me and Joe..." Cecile began. "We had a miscarriage".

"I'm sorry" Barry said automatically.

"She looks like both of you" Cecile told him. "Nora"

Barry didn't respond. He felt ill.

"Where are we going?" He asked suddenly looking around him as if he just woke up.

"Joe's house, everyone's there-"

"No" Barry said. "Stop the car".

"Barry-"

"Stop the car or I'all faze out. I still have my powers" Barry threatened and Cecile pulled the car over to the side of the road. But the moment they stopped the passenger door flew open followed by a red streak. Barry Allen was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

He hadn't run in years. He couldn't believe how good it felt, the air rushing at his side trying to keep up, the lightning crackling around him as he ran. But where to run? He had literally no where to go, no possessions and currently the only clothes he had were the ones on his body. Barry decided he'd stop by the loft at night when Iris was asleep, hoping she hadn't dumped all his possessions in his two years at Iron Heights. Just thinking about that place made his stomach tighten into a knot. He couldn't believe his father had spent more than a decade there, and still came out a decent human being, better than decent, he was Barry's dad.

He made a run to the ATM, and pulled out his credit card when he remembered it had probably been canceled. Silently cursing under his breath, Barry realized he would actually have to go inside the bank. Everyone had to know he wasn't a murderer anymore, right?

CCB's white marble form stood towering over the other buildings on Main Street and Barry held his breath as he went in. The security guard in front gave him a look as he walked past but didn't stop him as he made his way to one of the counters.

"I need money" Barry said to the first person he saw. The woman was writing something down and put one finger up. "Ok how can I help...you" she said taking in the sight in front of her. Barry's clothes were clean but his unshaven face and hair did look as if he had just stepped in from off the street.

"ID?" She asked, and Barry pulled out his drivers license and handed it to her.

"I haven't...had the time...to shave" Barry said awkwardly, beginning to pace back and forth, hands in his pockets. He had just begun to notice the news report on the tv screens behind him.

"You want to take out money from your account?" The woman asked turning to her computer screen.

"Yeah. Not much. Just a...just a couple hundred dollars" he said trying to appear unassuming but it wasn't working. "My name's Barry-"

"Barry Allen has recently just been released from Iron Heights" the news reporter behind him said. And Barry turned around and saw the screen. "After wrongly being convicted" she added.

"Didn't the same thing happen to Henry Allen as well?" The male newscaster next to her asked.

"Yes Matt, it appears that family doesn't have the greatest luck" the woman said.

"And on to our next story-" the man said. Barry turned back to face to bank teller who was staring at him, but she wasn't the only one, everyone in the room was now staring at him. The woman then forced a smile on her face and handed over an envelope.

"Here you go...sir" she said. "Sign here" and Barry took the pen, scribbled his signature and took the envelope, wanting to get out as quickly as he could.

"Thanks" he said and made a run for it, the normal way.

Barry bought a burner phone, ditching his old in a nearby trash can. Whatever pictures or text messages he had no longer mattered to him as were the people who had sent them. Then he went to the nearest bar he could find, cringing as he walked in seeing the glowing karaoke sign at the door. He had gone here with Caitlin Snow. Sang with her. She was at his trial, wasn't even looking at him as he was dragged away, she even had the nerve to turn around and begin walking out the door. He couldn't think about that now. If those two years had taught him anything, it was that he couldn't count on anyone to bail him out. He couldn't count on anyone to be his friend.

Barry sat down at the bar, running his fingers through his hair trying to clear his head. He ordered a burger and fries, a coke. But all of it only tasted like sawdust in his mouth. "That does not look like it's going down well" a voice said, but Barry knew who it was.

"Cisco" he said. "I'd ask how you found me but I'm sure your powers are as good as ever".

"Yeah, I've been getting better" Cisco muttered slowly walking towards him.

"Funny, how they just seemed to have stopped working two years ago, you know, the one time I need them" Barry said putting down his glass hard on the wooden counter top.

"Hey, man-" Cisco began.

"Don't tell me your here to apologize" Barry scoffed looking towards his former friend. Cisco's hair was back to being shoulder length but looked as messy as ever. He too was unshaven.

"Everyone-"

"What? They all feel so damn bad? You didn't feel that way yesterday did you? Or the day before that, when they thought I was a murderer. None of you ever came. Not once, except for Iris. Telling me she was pregnant and never coming back" Barry yelled standing up, kicking his chair behind him. The whole place was quiet now, everyone had stopped talking. Even the bartender was listening in.

"Listen, I don't think this is the best place to talk,come on" Cisco said walking towards the back room used for storage.

"Iris was with you the whole time, I swear. She kept trying to get you on parole but CCPD wouldn't budge, they said you had to serve at least 15 years before they even considered it. We all told Iris to let it go, honestly man, we all just thought everything got too much for you after Thawne, Zoom, then Savitar. Your parents" Cisco said quietly.

Barry looked disgusted. "You would really think that I would just go murder someone, in cold blood?" Then he laughed. "Wow. I guess the four years of knowing each other meant nothing? You obviously knew nothing about me".

"Don't say that. Team Flash, us as a family, as best friends, meant everything" Cisco said. "That's why it made it so hard. None of us could get up the courage to go see you, talk to you".

"What about Joe?" Barry asked.

"He didn't know what to think" Cisco said.

"So what? Did you all draw straws of who gets to come find me?" Barry asked.

"I wanted to come. You're my best friend" Cisco told him.

Barry spat on the ground. "Go to hell" he said and then walked away, leaving Cisco standing alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Heres a new chapter, and a rather long one by my usual standards. So I felt it time for a good flashback before I continue on with the plot. Also the whole thing with Devoe's wife confessing about her husband's plans, I do kinda think that might happen in the show as especially in the midseason finale we saw her a little bit hesitant with everything that she had to do. But anyways that's just a theory of mind, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please leave reviews!**

Joe had been the first to find out. He had been at CCPD, a job that was hard for him to return to after Barry's arrest but he went anyways. He was sitting at his desk late at night looking over a case file when he heard the doors to the elevator open with a small ping. Joe didn't pay much attention to the footsteps that followed until he heard the voice that went with it.

"I'd like to speak with the Captain" she had said with her familiar accent. Joe couldn't help but looking up from his papers. Marlize Devoe had been at the trial, and had sworn that she believed Barry to be guilty of her husband's murder. And yet now she stood back in the lobby of the police department, looking extremely nervous but also slightly...scared.

Joe completely forgot about his work at that moment and began walking towards her, wanting to know why she was here. Marlize turned her head and caught his gaze, tears began spilling down her cheeks.

"Mrs. Devoe" an officer said putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her to Singh's office.

"Wait" she said stopping in her path as she looked back over to Joe. "I think Mr. West should join us as well, please" the officer nodded and Joe slowly followed the two.

The next half an hour would be the worst of Joe's life, and possibly of Captain Singh's as well. With a video camera recording, she told them everything, starting from the particle accelerator with her husband being metahuman up until the planned murder. Leaving out everything that had to do with Barry being the Flash she went on to explain how her husband picked him as the perfect target to pin the 'murder' on.

"Why Barry Allen?" Singh asked. "It could've been any one in this city".

"My husband saw the brilliance in his young mind, all the cases he was able to explain" Mrs. Devoe half lied.

"And the video?" Joe asked, referring to the one shown at Barry's trial, the one that was supposed to be video surveillance.

"Merely a trick of my husband's powers" she replied, although she didn't seem happy about this fact. "You can make me take a polygraph, but I assure you that I speak the truth" she added, noticing the slightly unconvinced look on the Captain's face.

"It's been two years" Singh stated. "Why come out with this information now, instead of at the trial when it was needed?" He asked.

"Because at that time, I was blinded by love. He made me believe that this was all for the best, that this would allow him to continue to live on and we could make the future better together. Except he started going too far. With this new body that he stole, he felt invincible, and I no longer saw the man that I married" Marlize said, crying once more.

"But you stayed with him" Singh said.

"I felt obligated too, we were married after all and we had made our vows. He liked to remind me of this, every time I would advise him to stop. He had gotten new friends also. Criminals, I might add, people that didn't care about hurting others. My husband became too involved with them although I wanted no part of his plans. Not anymore. And so I wanted to leave, but Clifford didn't want that" she said before moving a lock of hair away from her face, showing a rather purple bruise on her left cheek.

"He would always apologize after, tell me how much he loved me. And I believed him. It was only tonight that I had the courage to come and tell over all this" she finished.

The interrogation room fell silent. Singh got up to check the video recording. Whole Joe held his forehead in his hands, not knowing what to do with himself.

"Do you know how much trauma and hardship my son has had to go through?" Joe asked quietly.

"Mr. West-" Marlize began.

"I wanted to believe he was innocent. But you looked at me in that damn courtroom, and you swore he was guilty" Joe said his voice now raised. He had put away one of his closest friends for eleven years and then he'd done the same thing to his son. What kind of parent does something like that?

"Mr. West, I'm so sorry-" she cried.

"Tell that to my son" Joe said bitterly.

"Joe" Singh said, looking up from the camera. "I think you better call Cecile. This looks good. We could get a judge to sign the release tomorrow. Barry could be out of Iron Heights within a day" Joe nodded but he wasn't really listening. All he could now think about was his son, and the new baby. Nora West-Allen was now a year old and at the time of her birth Iris refused to have anyone at the hospital with her a first. She just wanted Barry. Eventually she let Cecile and Caitlin come and calm her down. But she wouldn't talk to her father. Iris believed of Barry's innocence from the very beginning and refusing to think otherwise. The rest of the Team couldn't decide. The more arguments they made against Barry's ability to kill, the more it actually seemed more likely, and they all hated themselves for thinking so badly of their friend. But the way he'd been acting recently made them think otherwise. He had broken into Devoe's house and developed a dangerous obsession with this new villain. Maybe it was that Barry had just gotten married that he didn't want anyone ruining his happiness and killing someone else that he loved, so he took care of this guy before any of his plans could go into action. Maybe it was just one evil villain too many.

Joe left the room and pulled out his phone with a shaking hand. He scrolled down his contact lists and for some reason went straight past Cecile's name and instead went to Iris, although she knew his daughter would most likely not pick up. Cecile was probably with Iris right now, helping her take care of the baby. Over the two years that Barry had been in Iron Heights, Cecile and Iris had formed a very close bond. After Cecile's miscarriage she and Joe had decided that maybe this was for the best and they didn't try again. They did however, elope in a small church near the house, wanting to make their marriage as quiet as possible for Iris.

When Barry was in the Speedforce she stayed strong, leading the team in the best way possible. But after his arrest and conviction she left the team completely, focusing on her job at CCPN and now the new baby.

The phone began to ring, once, twice, three times and then it went to voicemail.

"Hello" Joe said beginning his message. "Baby girl, I have some really great news. Please call me back". Next he dialed Cecile.

She picked up almost instantly. "Hey Joe" she said.

"Cecile? It's Barry-"

"What?"

"He's going free" Joe's voice broke and Cecile could tell he crying.

"What do you mean? The judge said no parole" she asked.

"He didn't kill Devoe" Joe said. "My son's innocent" and in the background he could've sworn he heard his daughter crying.

They had waited until Cecile got his released signed to tell the rest of the Team. Joe had gotten all of them to meet him at their house while Cecile went to Iron Heights.

"Joe, what's this about?" Cisco asked jumping through the huge circling vortex that had opened up in the living room, Harry following seconds after. Wally arrived in a flash of yellow lighting with Caitlin making a not so impressive entrance by walking in the front door.

"You sent out a panic alert for us all to come here" Caitlin added, holding up her still blinking red phone.

"Well, this is going to be hard to tell you all this but-" Joe paused taking a deep breath. "Last night at the precinct Devoe's wife came in. And she confessed...everything".

"West, what're you saying?" Harry asked, keeping hold of one of the gun in his hands.

"Barry's innocent" he paused again letting the fact sink in for the rest of the Team. "That video from the trial? Apparently something with Devoe's powers that he whammied everyone that watched it-"

"Making it look like Barry killed him" Cisco said, his eyes wide.

"Meanwhile it could've shown anything else" Caitlin added.

"Ok" Cisco said as he began walking around the living room, playing with his dark hair every few seconds. "This is bad. This is extremely bad. How the hell could have let something like this happen?! And Barry..."

"Where is he, Dad?" Wally asked. "I mean, like is he out yet?"

"Cecile got the judge to sign his release almost immediately this morning, then she told me she was headed to Iron Heights to get Barry" Joe told them all.

"She's bringing him here?" Caitlin asked. Joe nodded.

"Oh man" Cisco said as his pacing began to get faster. "Barry's not gonna like that. He hasn't seen any of us in two years, cause none of us ever visited him"

"Iris did, once" Caitlin said quietly and Joe looked at her. "She wanted to tell him about the baby".

"Wait Joe, you did tell Iris about this right?" Caitlin asked.

"Cecile told her".

"She probably hates us now almost as much as Barry will" Cisco said. "Honestly if were him, I'd never want to see any of us again".

And then Joe's phone rang, it was Cecile. Nervously he answered the call.

"Joe Barry's gone" Cecile said into the phone, he could hear that she was driving.

"What?!" Joe asked incredulously as he looked back to the rest of the group, not knowing how'd they go forward.


	4. Chapter 4

This was a horrible idea and Barry knew it. Breaking into someone's apartment at 2:35 AM(even if it had once belonged to him as well) through the balcony could get him arrested...again. But he just needed to see his daughter, one glimpse of her, one touch of her small hand. That was all he needed.

He entered as quietly as possible, first using his speed to get onto the balcony itself and then pulling up the metal latch that usually held the doors from opening in the wind. Barry felt something in his stomach drop as even in the darkness of night he could make out the loft that he had called home two years ago. He noticed the change in sofa and carpet in the living room, but those were just the small differences that had taken place. There was an infants play mat next to the coffee table that Iris had adored so much and also small toys scattered amongst the floor. His heart nearly broke as he saw the bottle half empty with milk on the marble counter top. And then he heard crying.

It was coming from upstairs and it was definitely a very young child making the noise. Before he could stop himself Barry began climbing the stairs trying to stay as light on his feet as possible when he heard a creak. One of the wooden floorboards on the steps were loose. Barry stopped, breathing heavily and trying to listen if Iris had heard him, and yet he continued to only hear the crying. So he went on, within seconds he reached the top and he saw the crib a mere few feet away from where he stood. Barry walked closer until he stood right in front of it and looked down at the crying child within.

She looked like the two of them combined. With skin a bit tanner than his and Iris's dark curly hair, and Barry couldn't help but smile as he remembered when he and Iris were both 17 and she convinced him to go to the salon with her as she got her hair chemically straightened. Joe had been so angry at the two of them but eventually he got over it and actually told Iris her hair was beautiful that way. As Barry stared down at their daughter he wondered if one day she'd like to do the same thing.

Another feature Barry saw, this time she took after him were her eyes. They were his eyes. The same as his father. The same hazel eyes that Barry saw every time he looked in the mirror. His daughter had his eyes. He wanted to pick her up, hold her, calm his child from crying. But then he heard someone behind him, and the click of gun.

"Don't you dare touch my baby. Now turn around slowly, with your hands up before I call the police". Barry did what she said, turning to face his wife slowly, but he did so with a sad smile.

"You know I think Joe was wrong" Barry said. "You would've been an amazing cop".

Iris almost dropped the gun in her hands, the same one Joe had given her when they first started fighting all the metahumans. Slowly she clicked the safety on and placed it on the floor next to her, with her mouth still open from shock.

"Barry?" Iris asked in disbelief, but she didn't dare run towards him, waiting to see how he'd react first.

"I wanted...to see her" Barry said his voice shaking. He wanted to hate her, the way he hated everyone else, but he couldn't. The words Cisco had told him echoed in his mind. Iris believed in him the entire time.

And before he knew what he was doing Barry went forward wrapping his arms around Iris. He began sobbing into her shoulder, all the pain he'd felt in the past few years were pouring out of him. He then felt Iris's tight grip engulf him, as she too had been desperate to be with him once more.

"I tried getting you out" she cried into his ear. "Really Barry I did, but no one would believe me".

"It's okay" Barry said although it wasn't. "I'm glad you did" slowly they pulled apart. Barry looked into Iris's deep brown eyes. And then he turned back around and looked at the crib, Nora was still crying.

"How old is she?" Barry asked quietly.

"She just turned a year old, Bar. Just a few weeks ago" Iris told him.

"And I missed it" Barry said, feeling himself falling apart from the inside. "I missed everything".

"Not everything" Iris said as she leaned over the crib and carefully picked up the still crying baby, who instantly calmed down at her mother's touch. "She's got a whole life ahead of her". Iris lifted Nora a little slowly so Barry could hold her.

"Iris-" Barry said, now unsure that he should be able to handle such a pure thing.

"It's okay" Iris said, placing the baby in Barry's open arms. To his surprise his daughter remained quiet and even relaxed more, falling back asleep. He then forgot about everything he'd been thinking about before, pushing the horrible thoughts in his head to the back of his mind, just for this present moment. All he could think about right now was his daughter in his arms.

"Talk to her, Bar" Iris told him.

"Um...ok" Barry said, the last time he was this nervous was at his trial. "Hi. Nora. I know you haven't actually met me until now, but I'm your dad, and I'm not going to leave you. I'm promise" Barry said, not even noticing that his eyes were filled with tears once more. He then walked forward and as carefully as Iris had done, he placed the baby back in her crib. But the moment he did Barry suddenly off again, remembering his current situation.

"See" Iris said. "You're a natural".

"Am I?" Barry asked, standing up straight and walking away from the crib in the direction of the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Iris asked carefully. "Please tell me you're not leaving".

"You actually want me to stay?" Barry asked sarcastically.

"Bar-" 

"You said you believed me the whole time, and yet you only came once in the two years I was in that damn place!" Barry couldn't help but yell, which made the baby cry.

"Barry, you don't understand how hard all of this has been on me" Iris said forcing her voice into a whisper, as to not wake up Nora.

"On you?" Barry said, now in the same hushed tone. "I'm the one who was convicted for something I never did!"

"And you were sent to Iron Heights where everyone is looked at like a felon because that's who they are. But I lived in Central City where every place I went I was looked at as the woman who was married to a killer. I stood up for you to everyone. They all pitied me that I wouldn't see the truth, they questioned me why I still kept your last name and our marriage intact. I nearly quit my job because of what the papers were printing about you. And then I got pregnant, and I knew that I had to go on for our baby" Iris said.

"Why didn't you ever come back?" Barry asked.

"Because that made the pain of losing you even worse" Iris told him. "You got a life sentence Barry, minimum. Before Devoe's wife confessed there was no evidence to prove you innocent, Bar. None" Iris said. "But I knew. I knew that just like your dad, people would see that you did nothing wrong".

"And it happened" Barry said though with no real happiness to his voice.

"It did. And I knew you'd come here eventually, to see our daughter" Iris said.

"And now that I came, do you...want me to stay?" Barry asked awkwardly and while part of him wanted her to say yes, the other part couldn't push away the feeling of hurt and neglect that was two years in the making.

Iris stared at him, and he felt like a child for the next words that would come from his mouth, but Barry didn't stop himself. "I just didn't know if after all this time...you still...loved me".

"Bar..." Iris said, stepping right in front of him that they were basically touching. "I never stopped" and for the first time in two years, their lips met.


	5. Chapter 5

Tick, tick, tick. It was as if the small vintage clock on the mantelpiece was mocking Barry. The constant noise refused to let his eyes remain shut so instead he lay hours on the sofa with his gaze locked on the ceiling overhead. If he had anywhere to be Barry would've left the moment Iris had gone back upstairs, the problem was there was no where for him to go. His life had ended the moment they dragged him out of the courthouse in chains and into the prison cell. Now he had returned to the place he had called home just over two years ago and yet whether it was the different furniture that was spread across the room or the infants toys on the floor Barry couldn't find himself at ease. And he didn't know if he ever could.

Barry's eyes flicked towards the extremely irritating clock for the thousandth time. How was it possible that it was only half past four in the morning? It was one of the curses of being a Speedster. Time dragged out for what seemed liked eternity, and it nearly drove Barry insane. When he was in his cell time went especially slow. There was no clock to stare at, only the stone walls which surrounded him. All he could do was guess what time of the day it was.

He sprang up from the couch, bare feet touching the cold hardwood floors and sending a shiver down Barry's spine. He tapped his hands rapidly on his side. He needed to do something, he couldn't just stay put for another three hours or so. He looked towards the window, wondering if he should go for a run somewhere in the night but his own messy reflection stared back at him in the darkened glass.

Even though the footsteps were light, they were just loud enough to give Barry a warning ahead of time that Iris was coming down the stairs. He quickly put his head down among one of the throw pillows of the sofa and waited. Finally he heard Iris step on the landing and he sat up. She stared at him with look of surprise as if she expected that he'd leave before morning.

"Barry" Iris said as she tightened her grip on the small child who she held in her arms. "You shaved".

"I-I couldn't sleep" Barry stuttered, trying to resist the urge to run a hand over his newly clean shaven face. He didn't know exactly why he did it. Maybe it was just for the same reason he had returned to Iris last night, trying to get a piece of himself back.

Iris didn't expect to see Barry again, and definitely not so soon. The stranger that broken into her apartment last night had familiar green eyes and a similar voice but barely anything else. It was as if he was a ghost, back from the grave. And yet here he was, Barry Allen staring back at her. He still had the baby face she remembered but more pale then it used to be, harsher cheek bones. But that didn't matter. He was here, and all it took was a razor to bring him back.

"Do you want something to eat?" Iris asked in a voice that was barely a whisper. Barry stared back at her. Both of them stood so very tense, it was as if the kiss had never happened.

Barry shook his head. "Come on, this can't be what it's going to be like with the two of us" he said, before sitting back down of the sofa.

Iris took of deep breath, closing of her eyes for a moment before looking back at Barry. "No. I don't want it to be" she said as she walked towards him, grabbing a bottle off the coffee table and sitting down next to him. Iris held their baby as she fed her the bottle.

"Talk to me" Barry said softly.

"About?"

"Everything. Everything I missed. They barely let me to see any bit of the news in that hellhole" Barry said, his eyes darkening as he thought of the awful place he had just left.

"Let's not talk about that, Bar" Iris said using the familiar nickname. She knew he'd have to talk about his time at Iron Heights at some point but definitely not now.

"Ok. But Iris, listen" Barry said. "Everyone else, I don't wanna see them or hear their sad apologies. What they did-"

"Bar-"Iris cut in. "Look let's talk about something else right now. I want to tell you about my job, our baby, we don't need to-" But Iris didn't get to finish her sentence for a loud crash echoed from the streets and suddenly the powered off tv screen, flickered on.

"Hello Central City!" Said a voice that Barry didn't exactly want to see again, and neither did anyone else. With hair that stood up on end and eyes that looked insane as if from electric shock. The original Trickster's face filled the screen.

"Word on the street is that Central City's Scarlet Speedster has been seen zipping around last night after two years in the dark, which immediately led me to decide this is perfect time to start up my old tricks once again!" James Jesse cackled and Iris moved her hand slowly towards Barry on the couch. And Nora dropped the bottle and began to cry.

"So how does a nuclear bomb sound to start the fun?"

 **Ok you guys had to realize Barry couldn't stay out of the dark forever, especially if there were more than a few people who saw Flash running around after his mysterious disappearance. As for choosing James Jesse to be the meta that attacks the city first, well I love how Mark Hamill plays his character and decided he'd be a fun choice.**

 **Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading,**

 **oncersm**


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